Blog Love :)

I love the online scrapbooking community!  I've made so many wonderful friends, including the fabulous Nikki!  She passed this sweet blog award on to me this week :). 

Nikki listed 5 things she loves right now on her blog, and I'd like to do the same:

1) Did I tell you?  I'm wearing contacts again!  I love the freedom of wearing contacts and being able to choose whether or not I wear my glasses.  I got new glasses, too :).

2) I'm loving the summer sun, and since I can wear contacts now, my new sunglasses!  No more squinting :).

3) I'm loving my husband.  His birthday is Monday and our anniversary is just two weeks later.  This time of year always makes me reflect on "us", and I'm just feeling especially lovey-dovey this time around :).

4) I'm loving my boys.  Even though they are literally driving me crazy (has school started yet?), they make me laugh daily.

5) I opened with this, but I love my scrappy online friends!  I feel blessed to have so many friends from around the globe, and that we share something that we are so passionate about - scrapbooking!

I would like to pass this award on to:

Amanda
Heather
Audrey
Anna
Julie

Have a great weekend, all!  I'll be busy creating oodles of new designs for the shop.  Tessa

Scrapbook Circle August Kit

Happy Thursday, all!  Thank you, everyone, for all your sweet comments and congratulations on my Etsy shop's 3000th sale.  I really appreciate you for spreading the word, visiting my blog and facebook page, and being such sweet customers :).  I'm feeling pretty blessed these days.

I'm counting those blessings, but also feeling a bit stressed.  So, I've decided that I will not be able to play along with all my favorite challenge blogs for a bit.  I'm not very creative with a long list staring me in the face, so I thought it would be best if I focused my energies on design team assignments for now.  Speaking of which, have you seen the gallery at Scrapbook Circle for the August kit?  I am so lucky to be on such an amazing DT - these girls are talented and inspirational!

The kit just bursts sunshine from every seam!  I created four layouts and even made myself a piece of jewelry :).  The layout I'd like to share with you today is "And Off He Goes".

Although the kit comes with adorable buttons, I snagged a few more from my stash.  I painted the alphas in the kit green to match my layout and added October Afternoon mini alphas to my title.  The Pink Paislee tape in the kit made me think of masking tape, so I layered both to make a frame around my photo.  Yep, that's Jaxon, on the run.  He doesn't really walk anywhere nowadays, just runs with this sumo wrestler kind of stance. 

If you haven't yet, take a look at the idea gallery for the kit.  And if you can get your hands on one before it sells out, I would jump at the chance!  Scrapping your summer couldn't be easier with such a great collection of goodies.

Have a great day! Tessa

3000 Reasons to Smile

Whoo hoo!  My little Etsy shop, Precocious Paper, has reached 3000 sales!  I could not be happier!  I am enormously grateful for all the blessings Precocious Paper has brought my way, including my wonderful customers.  Let's celebrate, shall we?  All purchases completed this week (through August 2nd) will be entered into a drawing for a $30.00 gift certificate!

I'm also excited to share with you a custom project that I've been working on.  From time to time I am commissioned to create scrapbook layouts for sweet people, and recently Lyndi asked me to document her little girl's first birthday.  Her party was bumble bee-themed, so little hand-stamped/glittered/flocked bees dance across each page.  I kept the color scheme the same for all the layouts (taken from Brooklynn's adorable party dress), but made each page unique with different embellishments.  I apologize for kind of wonky photos.  I had to take them super fast before heading to the post office :).

I also made a title page for Brooklynn's baby album that included her birth announcement.

That was a fun project!  Now I need to get to creating, shipping, and working on another custom layout project :).  Have a great day, everyone! Tessa

Old Meets New

The Studio has a great challenge this week: use old and new stash together on a layout.  I found some papers by Junkitz from 2005 and I paired them with an orange patterned paper from Echo Park, who just opened their doors in the past few months. 

Once the layout was done, I didn't think you could tell that there was a 5 year difference between the patterns.  In fact, some of the other design team members couldn't tell what was old and what was new.  Here's my proof:

If you are in need of purging some forgotten-about-supplies, take on this challenge!  I would love to see what you create.  And please head on over to the blog to see the other DT creations, including Amanda's - she used the pink and cream Yo-Yo Posies from my shop on her layout and it is divine!

Happy Monday! Tessa

A Walk in the Park...

The July kits are live at Scrapbook Chicks!  I had the privilege of working with the "A Walk in the Park" kit, full of Echo Park and My Mind's Eye goodness :).  I made three layouts and have oodles of product left for more pages.

"Yummy" - Jaxon getting his first real taste of chocolate :).

"Virgins" - My sister and brother-in-law on their honeymoon.  There's an inside joke here, but I won't get into it now :).

"Mom and Dad" - a photo of my parents about a month shy of their 31st anniversary.  Do you see the 31?

And do you know the best part?  Each of the two kits are only $14.00!  There's tons of paper, great cardstock, and enough cute embellies to get you going.  I was sure to pick up the other kit, too.  I can't wait to scrap my 4th of July adventures with that one!

I hope your week is going well.  Thank you for stopping by! Tessa

Off the Page

I loved the challenge at The Studio this week - Scrap off the page: Make something other than a scrapbook page with your scrapping supplies. It can be anything you like, so use your imagination!  The design team created some beautiful things!  From wall art to cute organization, handy dandy notebooks to great gifts, you must see all of the non-layouts.  I decided to try something completely new to me. 

I attempted my first yarn wreath and embellished it with many of the handmade accents I've been adding to my layouts lately: fabric yo-yos, paper doilies, chipboard hearts, spiraled felt flowers, and paper butterflies. 

Even though this was a non-layout project, I still wanted it to have a title, so I included the hanging chipboard tags.  And, hint-hint-wink-wink, you may just see a tutorial on this project soon :).

Have you been by The Studio lately?  We are in the midst of a design team member vote.  We'd love your opinion :).  We also just announced a really fun crop, with all the details to come soon:

There will be fantastic guests, classes, challenges, and even prizes!  You won't want to miss it!  Have a wonderful Monday! Tessa

For Kelly...

Yesterday, Kelly asked about my materials for this layout:

The background paper is by Glitz, which I got from the May Scrapbook Circle kit.

The blue doily paper is October Afternoon, which I purchased from Scrapbook Chicks.

The brown doilies are stamped.  I purchased the October Afternoon stamp from Two Peas.  I used brown ink on cream cardstock and then cut out the image.

The little crocheted flowers are from this Etsy shop.

I made the felt flowers.  Would you like to see them in the shop?  I can always create a custom order for anything, whether it's something currently in the shop or not :).

I hope that helps, Kelly! Have a great day everyone! Tessa

Dreams

Harriet Tubman said, "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."  These words remind me that achieving dreams is an active process, not just something that happens while I sleep :).  And as a mother, I hope I can teach my kiddos that strength, patience, and passion are the ingredients to successful dreaming.  Even when their dreams are crazy, wonderful, silly adventures.  Do you ever wonder what your kids dream about?  I do.  I love to watch them sleep with their little eyelids dancing.

"Dreams" is the new poem over at Scrap That Poetry today.  I made two layouts for the challenge this time, as I couldn't decide which photo I wanted to scrap more - the one of Jaxon I shared with you in my last post, or the one of Carson I'm sharing today.  What is it with sleeping babies that makes me melt in wonder and amazement?

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope your week is going well and that you will have a chance to join us for this challenge at STP!  I'd love to see your "dreamy" layouts :).  Enjoy your day! Tessa

Gettin' Sketchy with New Product!

I'm so excited to share a new product I am introducing to the shop - Cupcake Poppies! 

Cupcake Poppies come in several colors and two patterns.  In gingham, I have BLACK, PINK, and TEAL.  In polka dots, I have PINK, RED, ORANGE, LIME GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, TEAL, and BLACK.

They have a natural lift to them that pops off of the page, but you can also tack down the edges so that they lay more flat, as I did in this layout:

I thought the whimsy and bright colors of the Cupcake Poppies were perfect for this page about my sleeping kiddo.  I followed the current sketch at Sketchy Thursdays, opting for one photo instead of two.  Isn't he just as cute as a button?  Or several? :)

Cupcake Poppies are available in the shop now.  I'm having a little giveaway on the Precocious Paper Facebook page if you'd like to win a set.  And stay tuned for one more new line of flower embellishments and more Sewing Pattern Petals :).  Tessa

A tough one...

Challenge, that is.  I found the new challenge at The Studio to be a difficult one for me!  I love that about Amanda - her challenges are always so different.  This week she has challenged us to use only cardstock, patterned paper, and alpha stickers on a layout.  Hmmmm.... No mist, no paint, no stitching, no fabric, no buttons, no ribbon, no trim....  I sat down to plan it out and ran into a brick wall!  My first instinct was to fussy-cut some pretty floral papers and find some photos to match, but then I found this photo strip of our little family, pre-Jaxon.  Florals would not do, so I went a different route:

I raided my freshly organized small scraps drawer.  I chose papers with red, light blue, and yellow in them, then handcut them into little strips.  I made a box, punched a few hearts and some border pieces, then glued it all down.  I really love the way it turned out - simple, easy, quick and perfect for my photo strip.  Now, if I'd been allowed to go farther, I would probably stitch through the center of my strips and mist my background.  I think I'll be scrap-lifting myself someday soon :).

I hope to see you at The Studio! Stop by the blog for details on how to play, or join the Facebook page to stay up-to-date with sneak peeks and posts.  Visit www.facebook.com/thestudiochallenges and click "like".  And remember, Cosmo Cricket is July's sponsor :).

Enjoy your day! Tessa

WINNERS!

The "Acessorize" Prize goes to:

Lynell of Kreations for Kids!

The "Embellish" Prize goes to: 

Joann Temple!

Congratulations, ladies!  Please email me at precociouspaper (at) yahoo (dot) com with your contact information.

Thank you to all who played along. I hope to see you around often!  It won't be too long until the next giveaway :).  Tessa

So Much to Say...

Suddenly I have Dave Matthews Band in my head :).  I can't believe it's already Wednesday!  I have so much I'd like to share with you today that I don't really know where to start.  So, I'll start with...

#1 - I won the June challenge at SRM Stickers with this card!  It was one of those projects where inspiration kind of hits you like a brick wall, and I loved the result.  In August I will be a guest designer for SRM Stickers, which also means I get to work with new product debuting at CHA :).  I'm so excited!

#2 - Today's extra at The Studio is our last World Cup Challenge.  The challenge this time is to use the logo as inpsiration.  Because I enjoyed the 4th of July so much, I had to scrap an Independence Day photo.  Can you see my camera in his sunglasses? 

I basically interpreted the logo as a sketch, but you are also encouraged to be inspired by the color scheme.  I hope you can join us!

#3 - Today is the last day to enter my giveaway.  I will be announcing the winners sometime tomorrow :).

#4 - If you read my blog, you know I subscribe to the Scrapbook Circle monthly kits.  Well, guess what?!  I applied for their design team and made it!  Whoo hoo!  I am so very excited!  I cannot wait to get started!

I feel blessed :).  When you're just trying to be the best mom you can be, fighting the battles of daily life, and working through tough trials, it is wonderful to get good news.  I'm grateful for my blessings and that I get to do this scrapbooking thing.  Have a fantastic day! Tessa

Bloom and Grow

We have a new prompt up at The Studio!  The challenge: Let's get in the mood for summer! Scrap a layout using orange and yellow as your main colour scheme!

Using a fantastic two-page sketch from Sketchy Thursdays, I scrapbooked photos of the beautiful rose bush we have on the side of the house.  I pulled the dark green from the photos to help ground the bright, sunny colors and used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch for the first time. 

Like Amanda says at The Studio blog, these aren't necessarily colors I often pair together, but I LOVE how vibrant this layout is.

Cosmo Cricket is sponsoring in July and August!  They are such a generous, funny, and down-to-earth company - I love them. 

If you have a chance, please visit the blog and see the other DT member's takes on the challenge, and don't forget that there are just two days left for The Studio Design Team call.  Come play! We'd love to have you!  Tessa

Happy Independence Day!

The 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday!  I love this time of year - the picnics, the parades, the fireworks.... I love it all!  So to all my US friends, have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend.  And if you're in another part of the world, enjoy your weekend too!

Source: epicfireworks.com

Don't forget about my big giveaway, happening here on the blog.  You have through July 7th to enter.

Oh, and I should mention here that several people have already taken advantage of my weekend sale at Precocious Paper.  Purchase three sets of flowers and get one free!  You can stay up to date on sale announcements on Facebook :).

Happy 4th of July!  Tessa

Carnival = Family Time

I had a lot of photos that I wanted to scrap from our recent trip to the carnival.  When Becky Fleck asked me to create a layout based on a PageMaps sketch for the July newsletter and her website that included several photos, I knew exactly which pictures to use!

I loved the tiny little thumbnail photos.  I opted for black and white pictures there so that they didn't compete too much for attention.  I used my favorite shot from the day for the main photo, and the only photo I have of all three of my big boys for the supporting picture.  I just had to use Hello Sunshine papers by Lily Bee for this one - they were the perfect colors for that wheel!

Did you notice the format?  8.5 x 11, double pager.  That's two things I don't do often.  I loved it!  I think I might do this size more often :).  With all the different size page protectors out there from different scrapbooking companies, I can definitely see various sized pages in an album soon.

Thank you to Becky for the opportunity to contribute!  And thank you for stopping by!  Tessa

Patriotic Pinwheel Garland

When I saw the new Summer Stack from DCWV, I had to have it!  The patterns are beautiful, and I especially loved the red, white, and blue papers.  I wanted to make something to decorate for Independence Day, so inspired by the pinwheel and the banner trends, I created a patriotic pinwheel garland.

I cut the pinwheels out of 6 designs from the stack, and secured each one in the center with a brad.  I punched holes in opposite corners of each pinwheel, tied ribbons between, and viola!  Thirty minutes later I had a garland to grace my front window.  Said window does not let in proper photography light, so I brought the garland out front to take pictures. 

The papers were just perfect!  Since they are double-sided, I was able to make two pinwheels from each pattern and fold them opposite ways for two distinct pinwheels.  I have a total of twelve on my garland, each one unique from the others.

Grandma Carrie sent us some patriotic pencils, so later today we are going to make more pinwheels and secure them to the pencil erasers with sewing pins.  They'll really twirl and the boys can't wait.

If you ever want a garland like this one in a different theme or color scheme, let me know.  I'd be happy to make a custom one for you and add it to my shop.  Don't forget about my giveaway and check out today's earlier post with the new Scrap That Poetry prompt.  Have a great day!  Tessa

Face

We have a new prompt for you at Scrap That Poetry!  The poem is "First Love" by John Clare.  I thought of several different directions I could take on this one, but as I was browsing through photos I found this picture of Carson.  Instantly, the line "I never saw so sweet a face" stood out to me and became my subtitle and title.

Carson has a talent for making faces, and this is my favorite one.  I've used my June Scrapbook Circle kit and some embellies from my stash.  I love those velvet flowers.  I bought them here on Etsy before Maya Road began manufacturing them. 

Not only did I choose the red-white-blue color scheme because it matches my photo and is one of my favorite combos, but also because I was inspired by the second World Cup Challenge at The Studio - scrap using your country's flag's colors.  I know we're out of the tournament now, but go USA!

Don't forget about my giveaway!  I'm excited to be meeting new people and to be hearing from people who stop by often but don't always leave comments.  I'll be back later today with a fun Fourth of July decoration to share :).  Happy Thursday! Tessa